"He slapped... my cheek...!"

The moment she looked down at her own hand in shock, the bathroom door clicked open with a soft sound, releasing a cloud of steam.

The man who stepped out had a towel loosely tied around his waist, revealing his otherwise bare body. Heeju's eyes widened in surprise, and her heart began to pound furiously. Baek Saeon was... why was he here?

"When... when did you get home?"

But Baek Saeon didn’t answer. He merely threw a towel over his head and began drying his hair in silence. The indifference in his actions made Heeju falter.

She tried to push aside the hurt. She couldn’t afford to feel neglected. He had it worse right now, didn’t he? Yet the word "complacency" lingered in her mind. Still, she knew she had to be brave. They’d let their relationship fester in silence once before—she couldn’t let it happen again.

Stepping out of bed as if crossing a threshold, Heeju approached him. A married couple should always be able to reach out and hold hands, she thought.